Vending-machine.



.No. 817,912. y PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

` 0. A. GUNDER.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

C. A. GUNDER. VENDING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 16.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@nous m35 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFIoE.

CLAUDE A. GUNDER, OF J EFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T() AMERI- CANVENDING MACHINE CO., OF JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

raten/ced April 17, 1906.

Application led June 16,1905. Serial No. 265,599.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLAUDE A. GUNDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jeffersonville, in the county of Clark and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

Machines of the type actuated by coin are frequently operated by slugs,dummies, and other articles simulating the prescribed coin. Thisinvention deals Wlth means to obviate this practice by divertingarticles other than the predetermined coin away from the coinactuatedmechanism, thereby preventing defrauding of the machine.

It frequently happens that the machine becomes choked by slugs lodgingtherein, thereby putting it out of commission. This invention obviatesthis difliculty, since it provides for clearing the machine ofobstructing matter at each operation of the vending-slide.

The invention consists of a coin-race having a movable wall and an openbottom, the latter being of a Width and length to insure the droppingtherethrough of a slug or like article a fraction smaller than the givencoin,

' structure and minor details Without departsaid coin-race incliningtransversely, preferably away from the movable wall, to render morecertain the rejection of the slug. A magnet located at one side of thecoin-race attracts iron slugs latgrally, the side wall being cut away toprovide a ready escape.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions bychanges in the ing from the spirit or essential features thereof, -stillthe preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a front view of a vending-machine embodying theinvention, the upper portion being broken away and the bottom portionbeing partly in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on theline x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the fraudpreventive mechanism on a larger. scale. Fi 4 is a side view of themechanism! shown in ig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of thefraud-preventlve mechanism. Fig. 6.

is a detail perspective view oi' the movable or pivoted side of thecoin-raceway. Fig. 7 is a detail View showing the means for locking thevending-slide when the magazine is empty.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated4 in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The cabinet-work for inclosing the foods to be vended and the operatingmec ianisms may be of any design and construction according to the whimand caprice of the constructor.

The cabinet is indicated by the referencenumeral 1, and within thel sameis arranged the magazine Z for containing the goods to be vended in theform of packages. The vending-slide 3 is operated by means of an arm 4,extended from a rock-shaft 5, which is operable from a point without themachine in any convenient manner. The goods when discharged from themagazine drop upon the oval plate 6, from which they are removed in theusual Way. The coinway has a portion arranged at the rear of thecabinet, as shown at R. and a portion 9 at one side in connection w itithe part 8. The coin 1() is received in a pocket or opening formed atone end of the vendin -slide 3, and an edge portion projects into t eath of the lowermost package of goods. T erebyupon movement of thevending-slide said package is pushed laterally from beneath the pile andcaused to drop into the receptacle 6. These parts may be of anyconstruction and are subordinate or adjunctive in nature to the presentinvention, which relates most especially to the fraud-preventivemechanism,

The coin slot, through which the prescribed coinis introduced into" themachine, is represented at 11 and the coin-race eX- tends therefrom at adownward inclination and terminates at its inner lower end some distancefrom the receiving end of the coin- Way 8, whereby provision is had forrejection of a slug, dummy, or other article that may be employed foroperating the machine. The

coin-race comprises a bottom 12, a fixed side wall 13, and a movableside wall-n 14, which latter is preferably pivoted, and for 'this pur--is open, as shown at 17, to provide a ready an inner ledge 18 of awidth to engage with the rim of the operating-coin, but will not engagewith a slug or like article having-a diam"- eter slightly less than thatof the prescribed coin. A hook 19 at the upper end of the side 14engages under the upper portion of the bottom 12 and holds the side 14in close engagement with said bottom. A spring 20 exerts a lateralpressure against the movable side 14 to maintain it' in a givenposition. The arm 21 is pendent from the movable side 14 and is adaptedto be engaged by atri 22, connected with or operated by means o? thevending-slide 3. An extension 23 of the arm 21 constitutes a stop andengages with the bottom 12 or other portion of the mechanism so as tolimit the mward movement of the side 14 under the influence ofthespring-20. The coin-race inclines transversel the inclination beingfrom the movable si e 14 downward toward the fixed side 13, whereby thearticle introduced through the coin-slot 11 maintains close engagementwith the side 13 by gav'itative action, with the result that the igheredge clears the sup orting-ledge 18 should the article be of a essdiameter than the o erating coin. The lower end portion of the side 13is cut away so as' to provide a lateral discharge for slugs or dummiesof ironor other magnetizable material. An extension 24 is provided incontiguous relation tothe space formed by cutting away the lower ceivethe s ug or dummy and form a su port therefor during its vlateralInovement,w yereby it is prevented from dropping through the A magnet25' is located at one side ofthe coin-race and eX-v opening 17 of thebottom 12.

erts an influence uponiron slugs or dummies which are attracted and'caused to dis-.

charge laterally from'therace.

The vending mechanism embodying-the invention is adapted to be actuatedin the' usual manner upon depositing a coin of determinate value in theslot 11. Upon introducing a slug having a diameter slightly less thanthat of theprescribed coin sai slugwill drop through the'opening 17 butshould it be a trie larger than the prescribed coin it will stick in thecoin-race, as frequently the case, and" interfere with the subsequentoperation of the machine. y This objection is over-A come in the presentinstance by the movable side 14, since upon operating the vendingslidethe trip 22 being actuated presses the' side 14 upward or outward,thereby releasing the slug and permitting it to drop through the opening17 and clearing the machine for' proper operation upon introducing acoin of given value in the slot 11. An iron slug or dummy even though'of exact size cannot pass through the coin-race, because of theinfluence ortion of the side 13 so as to're aimiez of the magnet 25,which draws' the same to one side and causes a lateral dischargethereof. A coin of given value after being passed through the 'slot 1 1glides along the com-race and is received in the coinway 8 and passesalong the same until it reaches the opening or pocket in thevending-slide, which latter when actuated inthe usual manner effectsdelivery of the goods to be obtained.

A weight 26 rests upon the packages or goods in the magazine 2 and has apendent projection 27, which'when-the magazine is em ty enters anopening 28 of the vendingsli e and holds it open, thereby preventingoperation of the machine, and at the same tlme holding the coinway open,so that a coin dropped'into the machine will return to the custdmer.

Having-thus described-'the invention, what is'claime'd as new isi 1. Ina vending-machine, a transverselyinclined coin-chute provided with atrans'- versely-widened bottom o ening and with an entrance-openingdesigne to direct'the coin or the like face downward into the chute, sothat its rim will ride along one of the side edges bounding the bottomopening and said chute beingalso rovided at' the lower end of thelowermost si e wall with a cut-away 4portion providing a lateraldischarge, andthe chute being alsol provided' on the opposite `side withan extension 1n contiguous re ation to the lateral discharge, as and forthe pur- :pose setforth.

2. In a vending-machine, the combination loo with an'article-ejectingdevice and-means for .actuating the same, of acoin-chut'e provided .withan open bottom, a stationary wall bounding o ne side of said opening, apivoted wall movable laterally on the bottom at` the other side oftheopening therethrough' and provided with a base-supportingledge'extending normally parallel to the oppositeside' edge' of thebottom opening, the plvotedwall being provided at its'free end with adepending arm designed to abut against the outer side of the bottom tolimit vthe inward movement of said wall, and the chutel being arrangedinan obliquedplane anddesigned to receive a-coin on its si e whereby itwill slide down'the' chute while it is supported atdiametricallyopposite points on. its face by the bottom at one side andthe baseledge on the pivoted wall atthe opposite side, and arojection'lcarried by the ejecting device an, varranged in the path ofthe arm whereby the actuation of the ej'ecting device will swing' thesaid pivoted side.

3, ,In a vending-machine, the combination with an article-ejecting.device and means for actuating the same, of a coin-chute provided withan open bottom, a stationary wall bounding one side of said opening,wall movable laterally on the bottom at the other side of the openingtherethrough and a pivoted IIO provided with a base-supporting ledgeextending normally parallel to the opposite side edge of the bottomopening, the pivoted wall being provided at its free end with adepending arm designed to abut against the outer side of the bottom tolimit the inward move'- ment of said Wall, and the chute being arrangedin an oblique plane and designed to receive a coin on its side wherebyit will slide down the chute while it is supported at diametricallyopposite points on its face by the bottom at one side and the base-ledgeon the pivoted wall at the opposite side, a spring secured at its upperend to the bottom of the chute and at one side edge thereof, with itsfree end engaging the outer side of said pivoted wall, and a projectioncarried by the ejecting device and arranged in the path of the armwhereby the actuation of the ejecting device will swing the said pivotedside.

4. In a vending-machine, the combination `with an article-ejeetingdevice and means for est actuating the same, of a transversely-inelinedcoin chute provided with a transversely-widened bottom opening and withan entrance-opening designed to direct the coin or the like facedownward into the chute so that its rim will ride along one of the sideedges bounding the bottom opening, and said chute being also providedopposite said side edge with a pivoted wall having a bottom or baseflange designed to coact with said edge to support the coin, a dependingarm secured to the free end of said pivoted wall and a projectioncarried by the ejecting device and arranged in the path of the armwhereby'the actuation ofthe ejecting device will swing the said pivotedside.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLAUDE A. GUNDER. Witnesses:

GEO. H. HoLZBoG, HELEN MOYNAHAN.

